Mononucleosis complications
Overview
Fatalities from mononucleosis are extremely rare in developed nations. However, chronic sub-clinical infection may persist secondary to the dormant virus within the B cells. Reactivation of the virus may occur in susceptible hosts under the appropriate environmental stressors. Similar such reactivation or chronic sub-clinical viral activity in susceptible hosts may trigger multiple host autoimmune diseases and cancers secondary to virus predilection to B lymphocytes and its ability to alter both lymphocyte proliferation and lymphocyte antibody production.
Complications
Rare fatal complications
- Severe hepatitis
- Splenic rupture
- Airway obstruction secondary to adenopathy
Non-fatal complications
Uncommon, non-fatal complications exist, including various forms of CNS and hematological affection.
- Hematological:
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia indicated by a positive direct Coombs test
- Thrombocytopenia
- Granulocytopenia
- Splenic rupture which may occur without trauma, but impact to the spleen also adds as a contributing factor.
- Neurological:
- Cranial nerve palsies (Bell's palsy)
- Encephalitis
- Meningitis
- Hemiplegia
- Transverse myelitis
- EBV infection has also been proposed as a risk factor for the development of multiple sclerosis(MS) [1], but this has not been affirmed.
- Cardiology:
- Hepatology:
- Hepatitis causing elevation of serum bilirubin (in approximately 40% of patients)
References
- ↑ Ascherio A, Munger KL (2007). "Environmental risk factors for multiple sclerosis. Part I: the role of infection". Ann. Neurol. 61 (4): 288–99. doi:10.1002/ana.21117. PMID 17444504.